Grocery cart storage and dispenser device



July 13 1965 J. T. FIscHBAcH ETAL 3,194,377

-GROCERY CART STORAGE AND DISPENSER DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 12, 1959 4 sheets sheet 1 V *NI \I- Mo Q \I :O I l Q I IJ Q I Q l F23 I r. 0 I Q\ I 'Il X: I l I l; I"i IL I N I .I N 1 N n I I l I I I I I I I W- l N a INVENTfoRs n m JACK 7T F/sc//A CH KEA/MTH #ARR/501V Io y 5ms/5M?, DAV/Mae Mas/fe N Arme/vans July 13, 1955 .1.1'. FlscHBAcH ETAL 3,194,377

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.J w l M F IA w QQ NQ @T0 l- QQ 1 I NQ S Ullmwlvv/ u N r 5L United States Patent O 3,194,377 GROSERY CART STGRAGE AND DISPENSER DEVHCE Jack Tillar Fischbach, 323231 Beech Ave., and Kenneth E. Harrison, 3110? Keswick Road, both of Baltimore, Md. Continuation of application Ser. No. $33,3tl4, Aug. l2, 1959. This application Feb. i4, i963, Ser. No. 259,481 8 Claims. (Cl. 19d- 4.1)

The present invention generally relate to a novel and improved structural arrangement for storing and dispensing grocery carts such as those normally employed within grocery stores bythe customer when collecting desired articles and then transporting these articles to a loading station or to his automobile. This application is a continuation of application, Serial Number 833,304, filed August 12, 1959, and now abandoned.

ln present day supermarkets and similar establishments, there is often provided a plurality of wheeled carts genl erally known as grocery carts for use by the customer While selecting the articles he desires after which the articles are placed in the cart and when all of the articles have been obtained, the cart is rolled to a check-out station where the cost of the articles is totaled and the articles are paid for. The articles are then placed baci; into the grocery cart, usually in a bag, and the grocery cart is pushed outside to the parking area where the customer loads the articles into his automobile. The grocery carts are then returned to the building or a central collection point Where they are subsequently gathered and returned to the building for re-use. Under this procedure, it has been found that a considerable number of these grocery carts are lost, damaged or stolen and the repair and replacement of grocery carts has become an article of considerable expense and overhead in the operation of the store. There have been several attempts to solve the problem. ln certain installations, the grocery carts are pushed out of the store by the customer to a loading area where the cart and the articles are left in the charge of a custodian with the customer obtaining a claim check. The customer then goes to his automobile and drives it to the loading station and loads the bags or articles from the cart into his automobile usually with the assistance of the person or persons in charge of the loading station. This, of course, has cut down on the overhead but has required the services of additional employees, a claim check arrangement and, more importantly, has quite often created dissatisfaction since the customers quite often have mistakenly obtained the Wrong articles from the loading station, thus leading to much confusion and dissatisfaction. Another solution has been the provision of a conveyor arrangement which conveys the articles to a central loading station so that the customer may pick up the articles at the central loading station, and in this orientation, the carts never leave the interior of the store. This solution, of course, requires expensive conveying machinery along with its upkeep and other objectionable features such as unsightliness and utilization of otherwise useful space.

While the above solutions to the problem and others have somewhat alleviated the problem, they have been found to be objectionable or impracticable in some Way or another. Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a grocery cart storage andy dispensing device which will store the grocery carts generally in a concealed manner and includes a structural arrangement that will dispense a single grocery cart to a ICC customer when the customer places a coin in a coin operated control device so that the customer may then take the grocery cart, gather the articles desired, proceed through the check-out station and then subsequently to the parking lot for loading the articles into his automobile. The grocery cart need only be returned to one of the storage or dispenser devices of the present invention and inserted into the storage and dispenser device whereupon the coin or a coin of equivalent value will be returned to the customer.

ln actual practice, it has been found that coins of relatively srnall denominations are sufliicient to materially reduce the removal of grocery carts from the premises sincemost removals are not actual thefts but inadvertent removals. Thus, if a customer has invested a sum of money even though it be a small sum, he will most likely recover this sum by eturning the grocery cart to the storage and dispenser device. lt is pointed out that it is not necessary to return the cart to the same storage and dispenser device, thus enabling a plurality of the devices to be strategically located for easy access bythe customers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a grocery cart storage and dispensing device including a mechanism for moving the baskets into the storage device with it only being necessary for the customer to merely push the forward end of the cart slightly into the storage and dispensing device.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a grocery cart storage and dispensing device which will 1positively retain the carts in position and will discharge a single cart from the discharge end when a coin is deposited and will discharge a single coin of the same denomination whcn a cart is returned to the storage device.

Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a grocery cart storage and dispensing device which is simple in construction, safe, foolproof, easy to install, easy to use and generally inexpensive to manufacture and maintain. Y

The foregoing and other objectives, advantages, and features of construction will become aparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view ofthe grocery cart storage and dispensing device of the present invention with a portion of the side wall broken away illustrating the orientation of the grocery carts Within the device in showing one grocery cart leaving the device and another grocery cart approaching the entrance end thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal, plan sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 2 2 of FIGURE l illustrating the grocery cart propelling mechanism and track mechanism for guiding the carts;

FIGURE 3 is a discharge end elevational View taken substantially upon a plane passing along reference line 3 3 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the relationship of the components of the discharge end of the dispenser and storage device;

FlGURE 4 is an entrance end elevational View taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FEGURE l illustrating the structural details of the entrance end'of the device;

FEGURE 5 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line S-S of FIGURE 4 illustrating further structural details of 'he entrance end of the device;

FlGURE 6 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken G3 substantiallyupon a plane passing along section yline ofV FIGURE 5 illustratingfurther structural Vdetails of the entrance end of the device;

FIGURE A7 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional View taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 7-'7 of `FIGURE 3 illustrating further structural details of the exit or discharge end of the device;j

FIGURE 8 is a transverse, vertical sectional View taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 8 3 of FIGURE 17 illustrating the orientation of the grocery cart and the storage and dispenser at the discharge end` thereof;

FIGURE 9 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 9-"-9 ofFIGURE 1 illustrating the structural details of the intermediate portion of the device; and

FIGURE 10 is a schematic wiring diagram illustrating Y the orientation and relationship ofthe Vcoin controlled mechanism, vthe coin discharge mechanisms and the in-= terlocking switches for controlling operation of the device.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the nu-A meral '10 generally designates the grocery cart storagek anddispensing device -of the present invention fwhich,y

for the purposes of identification, include anentrance or ingress end 12,'an elongated central portion generally designated by numeral 14'and an Vexit portion or area 16 from which the grocery cartsv emerge. The grocery carts are, generally designated by; numeral 18 and are of con- TheV basketzlS is also provided lwith the usual transverse handle 24 -by which the vcustomer manipulates the basket In the conventional baskets, the

in the usual manner. front'wheels 26 are usually closer together and smaller than theA rear wheels 22.

Extending throughout the length of the deviceris a lpair of side rails 2S conveniently infthe form of elongated angle iron members which are interconnected by trans-V verse end frame members` 3l). Disposed inwardly of and parallel 'totheV side rails 28 is a pair of angle iron guide rails 32 which have their .ends connected to .thev cross members 30. -The angle iron members 32 have the.

entrance end thereof loutwardly flared as indicated by numeral 34 forguiding the front wheels 26 of a grocery cart onto the upper surface of thehorizontal flanges of the right angle members 32 whereby the kupright llangesf.

ofthe right angle members 32 guide and. retain the front Wheels of the cart therein.

The rear wheels 22 of the cart aredisposed rbetween the right angle members 32 and the right angle members 2S as illustrated in FIG- f having one end edge connected to a corner post or mem# vber 38 and theother end edge connected to an upright 39. The top edges of the panels l36 are interconnected by a roofmember 40 and the rear edges of the side panels 36 are interconnected by apartial top panel 42 thus leav.

ing an enlarged opening 44 Vfor entrance of =thecarts 18.5

The other end edges of the panels 36 are connected by y relatively short .panel 46 defining an enlarged opening 48 through which thescarts 18 Imay egress.

Y Disposed in an elongated trough 50 in a concrete base 52 is a conveying chain 54 having a plurality of upwardly Y, extending projections 80 thereon which project up and engage the front axles of grocery carts 18 for moving the-grocery carts inwardly of the device y10.

The exit portion 16 of the device includes. side panels. 58 and 601supported by end flanges 62:,and1'aroyided` with a roof -64 which forms a housing for the carts as they proceed out of the device.

At the discharge end, the trough 50 is laterally-en-y larged ask at tand has aniotor 68th'erein with a V-belt drive .'70 :or Ithe like which AV-belt driveV or sprocket chain drive rotates Ya Vtransverse shaft -7253 The shaft`V 72, is supported on bearing blocks '74.suspended from the rails 32 and a pairof pulleys 76. arefixed toi'the shaft ,'72.for

rotation' therewith and these pulleysV 'i5 receivean elon-` gated endless exible belt ,"78l which has parallel. upper and lower runswith the `lower run being received Within the trough Sil andthe upper run being disposed interV mediate the horizontal Vflanges of the guide rails 32.

VThe ben 7s Visprovidecrwith apiurnityl.of iongi. Y tudinally `spaced :hook `shapedI members or .projections Si) which have a counterpoise .82 on the lower end/thereV` of and which isi hingedly ,attached Ytov the: .beltl'78 gen!V erallyat: the .-vertical kcenter thereof i with the pivot pin being indicated by numeralS.'

The other end 'of the; belt 78-issupprorted by'a pulley'.

jacent thejllared ends 34 of the rails 32.KV '.Thepulleys92` are supported on a ,transverseshaft 94 .supported by j bearing blocks 976 and extending outwardly into a lateral-` ly enlarged area 98of the vtrough() withpthe, out-er end of the shaft 94 :being supported by a bearing blockltltl carried by the side wall 36,.V The; shaft.. 94 `is provided with a drive pulley or sprocketm102J thereonwhich'is engaged 'Withfa V-belt orychaindrive 104driven1from Van electricmotor 166V vdisposed withinV a housing 101i'V Y disposed exteriorlyr ofthe casing 12,-.Wi-thk the shaft ,exi-V j Y Y tending'through an opening 112.in..the wall ,'36, The l. i'

other end of the motor 106v is provided with va drive pulley v or gear-V114 `driving a V-.beltlor sprocket chain @116 which is in meshingengagement with a shaft 1118 which `entends inwardly and transversely,v of the vcabinet Alike, rmember c with the shaft ;118whaving support bearing :blockg162'lV attachedrto housing 108 and having clutch 2122rnounted at itsexternally projecting end arranged ,so that upongbev Y ing energized by switch j128the motionfofj' driving Vbelt or chainll'is-coupledto shaft 164 and disc 124'l Shaft 164 extends inwardly andtransversely of the V cabinet like;V

member` having bearing blocks 12d-and 163. VOnfshaft 164 intermediaterof bearing blocks 120g isa receiving dise 124 having a pair ofdiametrically opposednotches 126'V f v s therein which receive :the v'grocery cart` lhandle `24 .and which will move 'cart handle 724.inwardly; when disc 124 'j is rotated.` c

VIn, FIGURE 2it is noted that there are three lswitches designated by numerals 128,430 and,132.2 Switch 128,I

controls` clutch 122. fory operatingfintake disc-124. i Cam 161 lixed'toshaft 1641operates switch A159 ito keep fclutch 122"engaged while disc-'124 -is niovingpcart V1S inwardly; Diametrically opposed notches'126 on disc 124 thusserveV 1f toallow only one cartlat a time to Vb'e'receivfrzdiinto the;

machine fromthe continuouslymoying conveyor-belts 134which position` the cart: Wheels ,26, so asf to operate.; Y' switchv 128, f andV thev cartjhandle 24 -into notch i126Y in ;disc l Disposed longitudinally inwardly from the `switch'128,.j is a Vswitch i'wrhichvoperates a coinV `discharge .mechaV anismgenerally designated gbynumeral 138.t0 `signify return =of the' grocery `cartr.;Switchlil also. lmomen-V- tarily energizes motores causing/,operation oflconve'yor- Y 78 which-moves -cart 18 'inwardly to .the knesting areaI and clear .of the ingress end 12.?,- i

Thusfas agr-oceryfca-rt Y18 proceeds intothe'storage L and dispensing device, the cart will "be'picked up by the: disc 124i` and moved forwardly vsuiciently aided by the flexible projections 13:60u member V134.andmoved Vonto the .tracksV formed by theA guides S2W-herein therhook shaped projections'lon 'memberLf/S engage the aX-le'f of;`

the carts and carry them until they are nestedwith'the rearmost cart. v When the; ,rearmost cart; isi nestedpthe ,Y

5 hook shaped member 8@ will swing about the pivot point y84 yand pass the axles thus allowing the hook shaped members -to pass under the axle. Inasmuch as the hook shaped members 80 Iwill move the baskets to the discharge end at any time switch 162 is not depressed by the presence of a cart in the proper position for ejection (note added wiring to accomplish this on FIGURE 10), the discharge structure will always have a basket available if there are any baskets at all in the storage and dispensing device.

Extending transversely under the roof panel 64 is a shaft 140 driven by a motor 142 by suitable drive belt or chain 144 and the shaft 140 is supported by bearing brackets 146 and ibearing blocks 14S. 'Mounted on the shaft 140 -between the bearing blocks 146 is a disc 150 having a pair of diametrically opposed generally U-shaped radially extending notches `152 for receiving the handle 24 of the grocery cart so that the grocery cart 18 will be projected out of the discharge portion `16 when the motor 142 is energized. The motor 142 is energized yby a coin control switch assembly 154 and Ialso the switch 132 so that the motor will not operate unless both the pressure switch 132 inthe guideway 32 and the coin control switch assembly 154 is in closed position which indicates that a cart is ready for dispensing and a coin has been deposited.

The intermediate portion 14 of the device includes top side rails 156 which .rails are interconnected with the bottom side rails 28 by screen member 158.

In operation, ya customer desiring a grocery cart deposits a coin in the coin receiving mechanism which closes a coin operated switch 154 which wil-l operate motor 142, if the interlock 1-32 is closed, to operate the dispensing disc 150 to eject a single basket and disc 150 will stop in alignment with the next basket handle. When a customer approaches the entrance end, the basket 18 is rolled into Vthe trackway formed by the guide rails 32, the switch 128 is closed which operates the magnetic clutch A122 so that the power from the continuously operating motor 166 Will be transmitted to the disc 124 and conveyor 134 for injecting the cart into the storage and dispensing device wherein it hits the switch 130 and operates the coin discharge mechanism. In FIGURE 10 switch clutch 122 operates until disc 124 is in position to receive the next incoming cart.

While this invention has been described in a speci-tic form and as operating in a specific manner for the purpose of illustration, it is -to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A grocery cart st-orage and dispensing device comprising an elongated housing structure, guide means exrtending throughout the housing for guiding movement of `carts through the housing, means disposed within the housing for conveying and positioning grocery carts from one end to the other thereof to be available yfor dispensing, dispensing .means at one end of the housing for discharging a single cart in response to deposit of a coin, and means at the other tend of the housing for receiving one cart at a time, and means connected to the cart receiving means for discharging a coin of equal value to the coin deposited at the dispensing end of the housing,

tending throughout the housing for guiding movement of carts through the housing, means disposed within the housing for conveying and positioning grocery carts from one end to the other thereof to be available -for dispensing, dispensing means at one end of the housing for discharging a single cart in response to deposit of a coin, and means at the lother end of the housing for receiving one cart at a time, and means connected to the cart receiving means for discharging a coin of equal value to the coin deposited at the dispensing end of the housing, said means -at the dispensing end of the housing including a rotatable notched disc for receiving the handle of a grocery cart, a motor for driving said disc, a coin controlled switch for connecting the motor With a power source, and an interlocking switch engageable by the lcart and connecting the motor and coin switch to the source of power whereby the motor and coin switch will operate only when a cart is present.

v3. A grocery cart storage and dispensing device comprising an elongated housing structure, guide means eX- tending throughout the housing for guiding movement of carts through the housing, each of the carts having a 'hand-le bar means disposed within the housing for conveying and positioning grocery -carts from one end to the other thereof to be available for dispensing, dispensing means at one end of the housing for discharging a single V-ca-rt in response to deposit of a coin, and means at the other end of the housing for receiving one cart at a time, and means connected to the cart receiving means -for discharging a coin of equal Value to the coin deposited at the dispensing end of the housing, means for injecting a single cart at a time into the storage and dispensing device comprising a rotating disc having notches therein for engaging the handle bar, and means operating the coin return mechanism in response to rotation of the disc which returns coins of equal value to those previously deposited.

4. A grocery cart sto-rage and dispensing apparatus comprising housing means for receiving and nesting a plurality of grocery carts, coin operated means at one end of said housing -for discharging a grocery cart to a customer in response to deposit of a coin, means at the other end 4of said housing for discharging a coin in response to movement of a returned grocery cart into the housing, and means for conveying and guiding the grocery carts :from the intake end of the housing to the discharge end thereof comprising a longitudinal conveyor belt having projections thereon for engagement with the axles of the carts, longitudinally extending parallel ridges forming trackways f-or -guiding the movement of the carts, said projections on the belt being pivotally mounted and icounterpoised whereby the projections will urge the carts to the discharge end of the housing and then release the carts whereby the carts will always be pushed to the discharge end of the housing regardless of how many carts there are in the housing.

S. The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for discharging a coin includes a rotatable notched disc for engaging a handle of a grocery cart, electrically operated means for rotating the disc when a cart is pushed into the housing, cam operated means for discharging a coin, and a cam drivingly connected with the disc for causing discharge of a coin upon rotation of the disc, and

means tor stopping said disc with a notch positioned for receiving a handle of a subsequently inserted grocery cart.

6. The device as set lforth in claim 5 wherein said coin operated means includes an electrically driven rotary disc energized in response to the deposit of a coin, and a pressure switch engageable by a cart to be dispensed, said switch being disposed in the path of movement of the cart and being closed only when a cart is in a position to be dispensed thereby assuring operation of the discharge disc only when there is a cart ready to be dispensed.

'7. In a grocery cart storage and dispensing apparatus having housing means for receiving and nesting a plu- :for operating said dispensing disc 4for ejecting a grocery fcart. Y

8. In `a `grocery cart storage .and dispensing apparatus --having housing means `for receiving andrinesting La plurality lof grocery carts, .a`receiving disc mtataibly mounted at `oneend of `the housing, and means for rotating (the disc thereby moving the cartinto the housing, and fneans Y fordischarging a ycoin in response to rotation of said disc. 10

References' Cited by theExalmnel',V

Usrrnn STATES PATENrs;

s/os) SAMUEL F.. CoLEVMANVPrimwy Examiner. 

7. IN A GROCERY CART STORAGE AND DISPENSING APPARATUS HAVING HOUSING MEANS FOR RECEIVING AND NESTING A PLURALITY OF GROCERY CARTS, A DISPENSING DISC ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT ONE OF THE HOUSING, AND COIN OPERATED MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID DISPENSING DISC FOR EJECTING A GROCERY CART. 